Firsts
by SongbirdTemptress
Summary: Dalton has gone coed. So what happens when the latest addition to the Warblerettes is whisked off of her feet by a Senior Warbler? Nicole is the most quiet and average girl in her class. So what makes her so special?
1. Expectations

**Full Summary****: **Dalton Academy has gone coed. Unlike most all-boys or all-girls schools, the Dalton Academy boys don't seem to have a problem with it. Nicole Winters' parents decide that it's time for Nicole to start representing her parent's wealth, so they force her into Dalton Academy for her Junior and Senior year. Nicole has agreed to go with the flow under strict circumstances her parents easily agreed with. So it's not surprise that Nicole is welcome into the Warblerettes, the female group as compared to the male group, The Warblers, with her shocking talent. But when the Dean asks for the two Glee clubs to join together to perform for the Halloween Dance, a sudden romance strikes up and Nicole gets more than what she bargained for.

**A/N****:**Hi! So, SongbirdTemptress here, thanking you kindly for giving chapter one a try. I would really appreciate for your opinion, so please! Feel free to leave a review. Enjoy!

**Chapter One: Expectations**

The reflection I saw in my floor-length mirror showed me nothing different from what I felt. A girl looking mortified in a navy blazer with red piping and a big red 'D' on the left breast pocket, white blouse, a red and navy blue striped tie tied loosely at her neck, black ballet flats with a bow on the outer sides. Her hair was an ugly dishwater blonde that hung wavily to just below her collar bone, her unchanging slate blue eyes were wide with fear, the black headband with the bow to the left side looked uncomfortable, and her pale fists were clenched tightly. Of course, her face was scorched with nervousness.

All my life, all I've ever known was public school. Easy teachers, easy peers, and the promise of always finding someone to get along with. But the school my parents had transferred me to over the summer was the complete opposite. All of my classes were at AP levels, but marked as the easiest classes there. How will I handle that? And not to mention my peers. They're going to be all strung up in their own wealth – why couldn't I be like that? I was brought up more by my older sister than my parents. My sister taught me to always be kind, forgiving, open-heart-ed, and accepting. And that was me, that was my essence. But unluckily, not all teenagers with the wealth that I had shared the same views.

When I visited the campus over summer, I had the pleasure (I really wouldn't say _that_...) of meeting all of my teachers. They were all aged and spoke highly of discipline. If only my parents saw the careful and sensitive person I was. There was no doubt that by the end of my first week I'd be crying for how scared I was of everything and everyone.

This wasn't going to be easy. At all.

"Look on the bright side," I whispered to my reflection. Yeah, I was crazy like that, but it was the only thing that kept me from running to hide in my walk-in closet. "You're allowed to join any club you choose." That was my bargain with my parents.

When my parents first told me, it was during dinner. My sister was having dinner with her fiance and his parents, so it was just me and my parents. I was upset and angry with them, telling them that they were taking me away from my friends. They had a hard time with trying to get me to calm down, until I thought of something. I told them that the only way that I was going to be calm about this was if they would let me join any club I wished. That instantly made them accept the bargain with a quick nod of their heads. They hated it when I was boisterous and behaving horribly, so they did everything in their power to stay clear of that side of me. Back at my old school, I was the vice president of the yearbook club, secretary of the art guild, and full-into the choir program that they had. But with this school, I knew perfectly well what they had.

Dalton Academy. The school that was recently just an all-boys school. The school with a strict no-bullying policy, no doubt more that 50% gay boys, a Glee club, probably a religious club, secret clubs, a lacrosse team, a chess club, and God knows what else. But what I would choose would definitely be something I'd need time to check out and think about.

"Nicole? Is everything packed up?" I heard my mother call from the stairs.

I looked at my closed bedroom door and sighed. I was surely going to miss it here. "Yes!" I replied back. My eyes darted to my freshly-made full-sized bed. Two large, thick suitcases sat on top of it. One had all my clothes and important products in it while my other one had my pictures of me and my sister, friends, and teachers that I would miss, my shoes, my posters I was going to hang up in my new dorm (I made sure I bought special containers to put them in so they wouldn't get flattened), and my favorite books I would to keep my busy during my weekends at the school season. My goal was to make myself feel as at-home as possible.

I made sure I put my laptop, laptop charger, and cell phone charger in the front zipper part of my suitcase with the posters and pictures while I put my phone in the deep pocket of my skirt. I then grabbed my suitcases and with what strength I had, I pulled them with me down the winding staircase to the main entry way where my mother and father stood waiting for me.

My father, luckily, took my suitcases from me and loaded them in our black SUV for me. I got in the back passenger seat and then we were on our way to Dalton. Today was the day that everyone was to arrive and get their dorms read. It was on a Friday so that everyone got the weekend to lay low and get used to things before classes begun.

After two hours, we found the school. We parked in the crowded dorm building's parking lot and after finding a place, we all got out, staring at the building before us. When we visited this place a few months ago, we only got to see the main building. So this was completely new to me. The front lawn of the dorm building was filled. Students and parents went in and came out of the building's front double doors like working ants. This didn't feel human to me at all.

My father had my suitcases in hand as he looked at me with arm eyes, motioning his head towards the doors. I gulped and with a shaky sigh, nodded my head as I walked in front of them. I managed to dodge a flying football, two running guys, and a toppled-over suitcase on the path to the front doors. When we got into the building, I immediately felt the central air hit me. The place was freezing as if they decided to abuse the poor air control.

"Do you remember my room number?" I asked as I looked at my parents.

My father looked confused and then speechless. My mother scowled at him and nodded at me once. "16B, darling." I sighed. I'd have to go up two flights of stairs to get to my room no doubt.

And I was right. Two flights of stairs, but only the second door on the left. So really, it wasn't all that bad.

I opened up the large cedar wood door with '16B' in thick golden plates and walked into my new dorm room. The place was larger than what the picture in the brochure showed. The floors had a rather boring cream and maroon red floral design, the walls were an ugly gray, two beds sat on opposite sides of the room (each against the wall), there was a cedar wood nigh stand standing beside each bed, a door sat in the middle was two doors that were opened to what looked to be a closet. The fashion of the room was so obviously organized in a boring way. But on the left bed sat a girl rummaging through one of her three suitcases. Guess that means I have to take the right bed. I didn't really have a problem with it.

The girl looked up. "You're Nicole Winters?" she asked.

I nodded my head in a shy way.

She gave a warm smile as she got to her feet and walked over to me with an out-stretched hand. "Hi. I'm Katie Thomas, your roommate." She shook hands with me and then shook hands with my parents, greeting them with a warm and friendly attitude.

"Well you seem to be on the right track. Do you want us to stay any longer?" asked my mother.

I shook my head. I wanted them gone. Like, right now.

"Okay, well," she paused as she gave me an awkward hug. She never hugged me. "You remember to call us if you need anything."

"Alright," I murmured. I hugged my father next, who said nothing. They were gone in a blink of an eye.

When the door closed behind me and I turned to look at Katie, she wore a suddenly cold expression. "So let's get a few things straight." She pointed a finger at me rudely and slowly walked over to me with her other hand on her hip. "Do not touch my things. I sleep at one until whenever the hell I get up. Don't disturb me, don't even speak to me. We got that clear?"

I had such hope that my roommate wouldn't be this way. Katie was by a few inches shorter than me, had curly brown hair, ice blue eyes, thick but perfect lips, and had a rather different fashion taste. Her tie wasn't tied. In fact, it hung around her neck as if she still had yet to tie it. She wore no stockings or anything. Just black heels. She wore a rather shorter version of the skirt I wore that stopped just above her knees, and her blouse was rather tight. I should have known.

"Crystal," I said obediently.

She looked at me for a moment before I noticed her expression softened lightly. "Obey all those rules and you won't have me as one of your enemies." She turned her back to me, her hair swinging around perfectly as she went back over to her bed.

I grabbed the suitcases my father had placed down beside me and hulled them up and to my bed. First, I unpacked my posters, pictures, laptop, chargers, and shoes. I placed the shoes at the floor of my closet, hung up my Wicked, Chicago, and The Great Gatsby posters carefully, and placed my pictures on where I saw fit.

Katie had gone quiet. I turned around to see if there was anything the matter. There was always something wrong with sudden silence. She was staring at my posters as if she wanted to say something. She must have decided against whatever she was going to say as she caught my eyes and turned back around to finish unpacking.

By the time I had finished unpacking, Katie was long gone. So I sat down on my bed after I pushed my suitcases underneath it, looked around at my work. Seemed homey...enough, I guess. But what was I to do? I didn't feel like checking my Facebook, cell phone, or anything for that matter. I wanted to roam around. So after I had checked myself over in the mirror that was in the room, I opened up the door and stepped out into the hall, nearly getting knocked over by a group of passing guys.

I walked down the stairs, following a crowd as I began hearing a melodic Acapella music coming from the first floor. That seemed to be where everyone was heading. When I got to the first dorm floor, I heard what was being sung.

_This is the part of me,_

_that you're never gonna ever,_

_take away from me, no. _

_Throw your sticks and stones,_

_throw your bombs and your blows,_

_but you're not gonna break my soul._

_This is the part of me,_

_that you're never gonna ever,_

_take away from me._

I was on the first floor now, walking deeper into the building. The singing must be coming from the room at the end of the building. So I followed the crowd to come to a stop. The room was large and looked as if it came out of an old movie. Hard wood floors, wooden paneled walls, a fire place in the farthest right wall, couches were pushed aside, and everyone was crowded around the singing group, sitting either on the pushed-aside couches or on pushed-aside table, or standing, clapping to the beat. The group was of guys.

A guy with olive skin, simple combed-back black hair, and a rather large nose stepped forward, singing the next verse.

_Now look at me, _

_I'm sparkling._

_A firework,_

_a dancing flame._

_You won't ever put me out again._

_I'm glowin', oh whoa._

_So you can keep the diamond ring,_

_I never liked it anyway._

_In fact you cane keep everything,_

_yeah, yeah._

_Except for me!_

The whole group sang the finishing verse next.

_This is the part of me,_

_that you're never gonna ever,_

_take away from me, no._

_This is the part of me,_

_that you're never gonna ever,_

_take away from me, no._

_Throw your sticks and stones,_

_throw your bombs and your blows._

_But you're not gonna change my soul._

_This is the part of me,_

_that you're never gonna ever,_

_take away from me, no._

The group stopped singing as everyone around them broke out in whistling and clapping.

"We are the Warblers, welcoming everyone to Dalton Academy. Anya over there is in charge of the girl's glee club, the Warblerettes. Auditions for the Warblers and Warblerettes begin tomorrow and end Sunday for those of you who want to join," said a shorter guy with dark curls drowned clearly in gel, slicked back. He had a rather large mouth and large puppy dog hazel eyes.

_I'm going to audition for the Warblerettes,_ I thought as I looked over to where the Warbler pointed to. A girl with a big, friendly smile, copper brown hair pulled back in a low pony tale, and easy brown eyes scanned over everyone. He eyes stopped on me, realizing that I was looking back at her. She waved, keeping her smile on her lips – never faltering.

This was going to be a long year.


	2. The Only Exception

**Chapter Two: The Only Exception**

My first night away from my house wasn't as successful as I hoped it would be. I went to bed around twelve after having a late night snack in the dining hall, and tossed and turned for about a good three hours. I didn't know what time I fell asleep (finally) exactly, but all that I know is when I woke up to my mom calling, I wanted so very badly to ignore her call. Know my mom, I'd be worrying her. So I grumbled and grabbed my phone.

"Can you shut the fucking music off?" Katie piped from her bed. I looked over to see a very dead Katie with her eyes covered in a satin blue sleep mask.

"Sorry," I said in a cracking voice as I opened my phone. "Hold on," I whispered to my mother. I quickly got to my feet and slipped them into my waiting slippers. I grabbed my robe and wrapped it around me as I hurried out of the room and into the empty hall. What time was it? I headed down to the first floor. "Alright. Sorry. You woke my room mate," I grumbled.

"Oh. Well I just wanted to make sure I woke you up at a decent time. How was your first night?" She didn't sound so motherly. It instantly pissed me off. _I'll wake whenever the fuck I want to wake up on the weekend_.

"Great to know."

"Great. So I'll talk to you later. Love you. Bye." She hung up on me without waiting for me to say anything.

I was standing in the dining hall. Only a few people were up and eating. The smell of biscuits and bacon filled the air. I sighed and put my hand to my hair, looking at the awake people. They all were dressed for the day, minus their blazers. I grumbled. I was the only one out of my dorm room in my pajamas.

"Great style," I heard a guy murmur. He was coming from the main hallway. I ignored him, rolling my eyes as I shook my head.

I might as well eat now.

So I got in line. Maybe by the time I finished eating Katie would be up so I could get dressed without worrying about waking her up. I grabbed a tray, filling it with a bowl of cheddar scrambled eggs, a plate of bacon, a small plate of a biscuit, and a bowl of assorted grapes and strawberries. I quickly grabbed an orange juice before I found an empty table far away from everyone else, my back to them. I began eating in peace before someone sat down in front of me.

I glared at him. The guy who made fun of my pajamas. Yes. I was wearing flannel shorts with Tinkerbell on them, a tight purple and fuchsia tank top, and a powder blue satin robe. No doubt my hair had fallen out of its braid I had set it in last night.

"Can I...help you?" I asked in the best polite voice as I could, trying not to allow it to drip in sarcasm. _Get lost and leave me alone._

To my surprise, he was in his pajamas too. Dark sea green sweats, gray tee shirt, and bed-head hair. He had rumbled dark black hair, warm brown eyes, and skin nearly as pale as mine.

"What? You don't want to start a table for ones who wear their pajamas outside of their dorm room?" There was initial teasing in his voice, which I couldn't help but smile about. His eyes held mine and for some reason, I felt like a deer caught in the headlights of a on-coming truck.

"Touche," I murmured, looking down at my food.

He hadn't looked away from me. "My name's Brendan. I'm a Senior here." He sounded oh-so literate, which made me want to snicker.

"Nicole. I'm a Junior." I ignored his gaze.

Before him sat a bowl of cheddar scrambled eggs with mushrooms, a plate of bacon, and a plate of two small pancakes with syrup already dripping off of them. He had a carton of milk beside everything.

For the rest of breakfast, we didn't speak any further. And some how, it was that kind of silence that was both comfortable and wanted. But when I got up to leave, he looked up at me and gave me a half smile, which nearly knocked me off of my feet. "See you later, Nicole."

I just waved, thew my trash away, handed my tray back to the cooks, and headed up the stairs back to my dorm. When I got in, Katie was just getting out of bed. I threw my phone onto my unmade bed and opened my closet, pulling out my jean capris, Dalton Academy tee shirt, slipped out of my pajamas and into my clothes as Katie left for a shower, slipped on my fresh clothing, brushed my hair up into a pony tale, and slipping into my old pair of black flats. They were my signature item. Never have I _not _worn them.

And then I froze when I looked at the flier that sat on my nightstand. Tryouts for the Warblerettes and Warblers. I sighed and thoughts of something to sing.

I looked at my door. Katie wouldn't be back for another ten minutes surely. I looked back down at the paper and sighed, sucking in a breath as I tried out my voice. I hadn't sung in a long time.

_I kept my mouth shut from the start._

_I guess I left you in the dark._

_You thought you knew but you don't._

_You say you love me but you won't,_

_when you find out who I am._

_I kept my mouth shut for too long._

_All this time you got me wrong._

_Now we're in this way too far._

_I'm about to break your heart,_

_tear everything we had apart._

_'Cuz I'm feeling lost,_

_when I'm in your arms._

_The reasons are gone,_

_for why I was holding on to you._

_I tried so hard,_

_to be the one._

_I don't like who I've become. _

I stopped when Katie opened the door. She just ignored me. I cleared my voice and grabbed my phone. I'll make my bed later. Right now I wanted out of this dorm room. I grabbed a book from my nightstand and headed out of the dorm building to the courtyard. People were beginning to come out and mingle about. Some left in their cars to go to places, but unlike them, I stayed and found a spot underneath a tree, sitting down as I opened my book and began reading...and thinking.

Maybe I should try out for the Warblerettes. I don't know. I mean, I'm not really _that_ talented. But for them, would I be? Deciding against it, I shook the thoughts from my mind and focused on what I was reading.

. . . . .

Sunday evening. Everyone was crammed into their dorm rooms, getting ready for their first day tomorrow. But not me. I found myself alone in the lounging room. The lounging room was so calming and relaxing. There were four leather sofas all arranged in a large square around a rug with two coffee tables in the middle. A piano stood at the farthest wall on the right by a couple plants. On the wall in front of the entrance, there were four large arch windows that stretched from the floor the a few inches away from the ceiling, wrapping in red velvet curtains. A fire place sat on the wall near the couches and a large table sat in the middle of the left side of the room with an equal amount of eight chairs around it. Paintings of men in Victorian and civil-war era clothing sat on the walls spaced equally.

I looked at the piano when I first walked in before I surveyed the room. I looked out the entrance and at the hall. No sign or even a sound of anyone to hear me. So I walked over to the piano and opened the piano cover, sitting down at the stool. I put my hands to the keys and began playing a familiar melody. It had been a while.

_There's a song that's inside of my soul._

_It's the one that I tried,_

_to write over and over again._

_I'm awake in the infinite cold._

_But you sing to me over,_

_and over and over again._

_So I lay my head back down,_

_and I lift my hands and pray,_

_to be only yours._

_I pray,_

_to be only yours._

_I know now,_

_you're my only hope._

I was slow on the short piano solo after the chorus, but I managed. It had been a long time since I even played that song. But a movement in the corner of my eye caught me. I jumped and got to my feet, causing the stool behind me to screech against the wood floor beneath it.

It was Anya.

She stood staring at me with a smile on her lips, her arms crossed over her chest. She wore a Dalton Academy sweat shirt and gray PINK pants, her hair up in a messy bun.

"I-I'm sorry if I disturbed you," I quickly said.

She shook her head, laughing. "Me? No. You didn't. I was just coming down to grab some fruit before I headed off to get my shower when I heard you playing. You're voice is beautiful." She sat down on the couch facing me. "Why didn't you try out for the Warblerettes?" She seemed kind, warm, and friendly.

_You know how Katie turned out. Don't trust her._ "I...I don't know," I said as I shrugged.

She got to her feet, walking over to me with an outstretched hand. "How rude of me to not have introduced myself. I'm Anya Crowley. President of the Warblerettes."

"Nicole Winters," I murmured as I took her hand and shook it. When I got my hand back, I folded my hands together before me.

"Do you still want to be in the Warblerettes?" she asked me with slightly raised eyebrows.

Flushing pink, I nodded my head, looking down at my feet.

"You're in then. Nicole, you're really talented. This will be the only exception. Make it count." She made it sound like a challenge. "Practice is every week day after classes from three to five except on Fridays and weekends. If you need to miss practice, make sure to contact me and tell me why. I understand there's such thing as too much homework or family issues. But I'm a hundred percent lenient when it comes to sicknesses. Don't want you prancing around with a green face." She laughed. And her laugh was that kind of laugh that somehow caused you to laugh too. I felt loosened up around her now.

"But I'm going to grab my snack. So see you tomorrow?" She said as she turned to leave.

"Wait. What about the Warblers?" I asked.

She looked at me, still smiling. "They practice the same time we do, except they practice in the main building's rec room."

"Oh. Okay." I smiled back at her. "See you tomorrow."

She waved at me warmly and walked out of the lounging room.


End file.
